Maximum Ride Chronicles: Rise From Ashes
by George Ellsworth
Summary: No identity. No memory.  Trapped, caged, experimented and tortured daily.  Who is he? He doesn't know.  But when he breaks free, he must venture the world, re-piecing his broken past, danger lurking around every corner.  He is re-born. He is Phoenix.
1. Prologue: Memory is a funny thing

((Authors note: This takes place during 'The Angel Experiment'))

Prologue – Memory is a funny thing

I 'm 436 days old. At least that's what I know.

The whitecoats say I'm 14 but hey, how would I know? I wasn't the one messing with science. One day you wake up, you remember years of pain and suffering and then the next, wham! You forget your life. Not that I've had much of a life. In case you haven't realised yet, I'm not your average teenager either.

I live in a place called the School, have done for my whole 14 years, apparently. I sleep in a dog cage because to the whitecoats, I'm just another experiment.

Subject 56 to be exact. They created me to run their 'important' experiments and make their 'precious' notes. And they treat me like an animal, partly because I am part animal. That's right, I'm a human-bird hybrid with a thirteen-foot wingspan fading from black shoulders to grey tips. That and raptor senses, plus other gifts.

But the whitecoats don't care, because they _own_ me. They electrocute me, burn me, inject me with god only knows what and they even operate on me occasionally. I try to fight back but against erasers, I've got no chance. Erasers, by the way, are human-lupine experiments. Part wolf, part man, all evil. They're the guards, and the executioners and none are as bad as Ari. He was some whitecoat's son, who got turned into a 'super-eraser,' so he leads the pack. He loathes me, despises me with a passion, for what reason I have no idea.

Now, I know that already your thinking "Wait, this story sounds familiar..." Well it should do. My story links to that of another, and probably more than just her's too. We share a path, one that we both took in our stride.

But at the start of my story, I'm just a lab rat in the School. This is my existence, and I guess I'll die here one day. At least that's what I thought, until one fateful day...


	2. Chapter 1: New arrival

Chapter One – New arrival

"Oh my God, Harrison was right."

I woke, startled at the sudden sound of movement and conversation.

_What know?_

"They got her! Do you know how long I've wanted to get my hands on this one?"

_It must a whitecoat_, I thought. Probably lusting over his latest victim. But what did he mean '_they got her'_?

"Did you ever read the Director's precept report about this recombinant group?"

Had this experiment escaped? There was only one group of experiments that had ever got out of this place. _Could it be…?_

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure I believed it," said a different voice.

I wasn't sure I believed what I was hearing either

"Are you saying this is Subject Eleven? This little girl?"

Subject Eleven? Here? But how? She was part of the only other group of successful human-avian experiments. Another bird kid, like me! But they had escaped, hadn't they? Had they been recaptured? Was she the only one left alive?

"Come on, little thing. You're wanted in lab seven."

No! They couldn't torture her, not a fellow bird kid! I grabbed the bars of my cage and rattled them furiously, smashing against the sides, literally growling with rage.

"What's this then?" I heard a harsh voice boom, just as I saw a hand reach down in front of me.

A shock of electricity burst through me, sending me crashing into the back of my cage. It was Ari, holding a taser in his hand. He bent down, peering through my bars as his pack of erasers howled wildly with laughter.

"Looks like this little birdie wants out of Mummy's nest" he snarled, shocking me with another burst.

I whimpered in pain, trying not to show it on my face. _But God, it hurt so much!_

"Sleep little birdie, sleep" Ari laughed menacingly as he pressed the taser again.

My body jerked uncontrollably, as I cried out in pain. But Ari didn't let go. He held down and shocks passed into me again and again and again.

My vision blurred.

_He must stop, he has to,_ I thought.

Time slowed, sound blurred. A white haze surrounded me. I could see silhouettes through my cage. The wolf men howling with laughter. I fell back. One of my wings crushed painfully against the bars. I just saw out of the corner of my eye, a young girl with blond hair, dragged through the door.

_Subject Eleven…_


	3. Chapter 2: They're here

Chapter 2 – They're here

Time passed.

I say time because I have no idea if it was days, weeks or months.

But at one of these 'times' I was woken by excited whispers from the whitecoats as I lay in my cage.

"They're here…captured at last…human-avian…"

I sat bolt upright, actually smacking my head on my cage. _Ouch!_ I heard movement behind me, the sound of dog crates scraping against the floor. Several of the lab guys shuffled past me, obviously keen to inspect their new prey. I could sense they were placed about three rows behind me.

I mean I could actually see in my mind how far away they were and in which direction. It's one of my special gifts. Just think of it as an internal radar. And right now I detected two people about to walk past my cage. It was the whitecoat called Jeb. He wasn't so bad to me, but still one of them. A tall girl with light brown hair followed him, and my mind raced. Was she one of the flock? Jeb led her through into what I thought was a staff room. Maybe they were going to have lunch together?

Who knows, only time would tell…

() () () () () () () ()

They came back out not long after they went in. I examined the girl more closely, as she walked down towards me, Jeb once again leading the way. She had dried blood on her jeans and jumper and would probably look very pretty if her face wasn't so badly bruised.

As she walked past me I pressed my face against the bars of my cage.

"Pssst! Hey," I hissed "Over here. Hey, you!"

But she didn't look at me, didn't even react. What had Jeb said to her?

"Pipe down maggot eater!" growled an eraser, kicking my cage. Ari was with him. They both chuckled before Ari whipped out his taser and gave me a quick burst, making me collapse, weak of energy. They both cackled like maniacs as they walked off.


	4. Chapter 3: One chance

Chapter 3 – One chance

I felt sick.

I hadn't been fed for a whole day. Sure to you that doesn't sound like long, but when you're a five foot seven inch tall mutant bird kid with thirteen-foot wings, your body needs a lot of energy. But the real reason I was sick wasn't because of lack of food. I was sick with dread. No food normally means one thing.

Experimentation, most likely some kind of operation. Sure enough, a group of erasers and whitecoats came over to my cage and pulled me out. I quickly scanned around trying to glimpse the other bird kids, but an eraser pushed me forward.

"Move it 56!" he snarled.

Even in his unmorphed state I could practically see his eyes glint red, ready to strike if I made one more wrong move. They barged me into a blindingly white lab, making my super-sensitive eyes squint. The erasers practically lifted me off the floor and dumped me into a cold, bare metal chair. They strapped my arms down with metal braces attached to the armrests. No way I was breaking out of these.

"Right, start the experiment" I heard a muffled female voice say.

I looked around me, only to see what I didn't want to. Trays of needles, scalpels and other surgical equipment lay on tables, whilst computers burst into life. Whitecoats attached wires to my arms, legs and head. In the wall there was a sheet of blacked out, one-way glass so all I could see was the reflection of a terrified mutant, strapped to a chair, surrounded by the spawns of Satan. I recognized one of the whitecoats immediately. Simon, a lean and muscular guy with thinning black-grey hair. He was my personal lab man; he conducted all his experiments on me as if I was his property. But he treated each and every subject with the same attitude; as worthless, insignificant lab rats.

"This is a basic experiment Director," he announced, facing the window as he spoke.

The Director? Here? Was she watching me?

"Simply put, we're going to administer injections of adrenalin into Subject 56," Simon continued, as he prepared a large needle. Emphasis on the _large_ part. "This should cause the subject to react and should simulate what it's body would be like during flight"

_It!_ I'm not an _it!_ I'm a human being, sort of.

"Proceed" was the Director's muffled reply.

She must be watching from behind the window. But why was she here?

"We better take care with this subject," whispered the other whitecoat, "After the extermination of the other human-avian's, this will be the only one left."

What? My eyes almost burst out of their sockets. They were going to kill the flock! I had to get to them, had to save them. Until this point, I had no chance of escaping this prison, but I pieced together the situation. If the flock were going to be executed, they were going to be out in the School's yard. Surely most of the erasers would be gathering there, hungry for some bird kid, so there would be little security in the building. That meant if I could just get out of this lab, I might be able to rescue them or at least escape. But how?

Then it struck me. I have one more gift, other than my internal radar. I can sort of absorb and store energy to use it when I want. It was useful if I got a bad cut that needed healing or a boost of energy if I was being tested on.

But I needed lots of energy for it, like from food. I had never been able to really use it much because I was so poorly fed at the School. Would it work with adrenalin? Only one way to find out.

I lay back on the cold chair, closed my eyes and tried to relax a little. Fat chance of that happening.

"First injection." the whitecoat stated, as he plunged the needle into my arm. I stiffened slightly, but then tried to focus. _Stay still, don't you dare react,_ I thought.

Minutes passed, but the machines stayed calm.

"No reaction," Simon said, slightly taken back. "Permission for second injection?"

"Granted," was the director's solid response.

I felt the needle move into my arm again.

"Second injection."

I could feel the adrenalin inside my veins but I forced my body not to react. More time passed and yet the computers didn't make any noise.

"Still no reaction," the surprise in the whitecoat's voice was clear. "Shall I administer a third injection?"

I could hear the Director mumbling, considering the action.

"Granted," was her final answer.

"Yes Ma'am," Simon replied, injecting yet another needle into me.

"Third injection."

"Are you sure this is safe?" the other whitecoat whispered, obviously not wanting to be heard by the Director.

"Of course not! The first injection should have done it," hissed Simon.

This was crazy. He knew this could kill me, that I could be dead any moment. Well, anything was better than life at the School. Wait, no. I had to save the flock.

"Still nothing. Director, I do not think-"

"Give it another injection," the Director interrupted.

An awkward pause. _Come on, come on!_ I could feel the adrenalin buzzing with excitement, my entire body tingling but I fought to store it in me.

"Are you sure Ma'am? The levels are very high-"

"Administer the injection Doctor!" was the Director's steely response.

"Yes ma'am, forth injection." The needle struck my arm again. I couldn't hold it any longer. I unleashed my energy, all the built up adrenalin shot through me!

My heart screamed at me.

My eyes shot open.

I went wild.


	5. Chapter 4: Sprung from the cage

Chapter 4 – Sprung from the cage

I was alive.

With a murderous roar I leapt forward with all my might, unleashing all the built up adrenalin. The steel braces around my wrists buckled, twisting violently. I pushed forward again, screaming at the top of my lungs and they finally gave way, actually ripping away from the chair completely.

The whitecoat sunk into a corner of the lab like a frightened animal whilst Simon stood still, his mouth wide open in shock and anger. I surveyed the room, my body pumping with insane energy. The door looked like solid metal, probably inches thick. Instead, I turned to the window and ran with incredible speed right towards it.

"Sit down!" Simon shouted, rage on his face but I just knocked into him, sending him sprawling onto the floor as I ran past.

"Back up," I heard a voice yell.

I propelled myself forward, covering my face with my hands.

_Crash!_

The reinforced glass shattered, shards flying all around me. I rolled head over heals, stopping on all fours. I looked up, my eyes burning with energy. I saw a large group of people, some of them whitecoats, huddled to one side of the room surrounding a woman. _The Director._

"Shoot it! Kill it!" she screamed angrily.

Three men dressed in black suits stepped forward, pulling handguns from holsters under their jackets.

I turned from them and ran, pouring on the power. I crashed through a door and charged around a corner just as shots rang out behind me. I could hear bullets ricocheting off the walls around me. I ran down a long, white walled corridor, with numerous other corridors and doors running along both sides.

_Where the hell are you going you lab rat?_ I yelled in my mind.

Everywhere was a maze. I just ran endlessly turning corners over and over, corridor after corridor, preying I would find an exit. More shots rang out behind me as the men in black gave chase but my radar sense told me they were falling behind.

"Subject 56 has escaped. Subject 56 has escaped," loud speakers announced around me, "Use of deadly force authorized."

Finally I turned into a wide grey corridor. At the end I could see a series of elevators. I ran towards them, my body burning with energy, greedily fueling itself with the adrenalin. Just then a door burst open in front of me. A whitecoat, large and bald, leapt out, menacingly holding a scalpel. Suddenly my mind flashed with images, men standing close, fighting. Then just as suddenly I was back. I blinked in surprise before focusing again.

I carried on streaming towards him and he lunged at me, knife in hand. I dodged to the side of his outstretched arm and thrust my hand into the back of his elbow. There was a crack as his arm broke, and he dropped the scalpel, shock on his face. Before he could even scream in pain, I grabbed his hand and pulled it down, making him flip over in the air.

He landed hard on his back, groaning quietly. I stood still for a second, not moving, my legs still outstretched, my hand still in his. _How the heck did I just do that?_

"There it is! It's 56! Stop it!" I heard shouts behind me.

I turned to see whitecoats and the men in black running towards me, guns drawn. I fled to the elevator, pumping energy into my legs. _Just run, go go go!_ I leapt inside and turned to the buttons, catching glimpse of one labeled 'Roof.' I stabbed it and pushed myself against the side just as shots fired, striking the elevators metal walls. The doors shut with a satisfying _ding_ just as I heard wild shouting.

I was jumping with energy. Fire burned in my veins, my heart pumping furiously. The elevator was going up.

And I liked up very much.


	6. Chapter 5: Free bird

Chapter 5 – Free Bird

_Ding_.

By the time the elevator reached the roof, I was shaking with anticipation. That and being stuck in a claustrophobic metal box. The doors slid open and bright light poured in. I stepped out, covering my eyes with my hands.

I had never seen the outside world before, never breathed fresh air. As my eyes adjusted, I stood in awe. The landscape around me was a mix of brown with green vegetation. Rolling hills, flat land dotted with shrubs, a few trees stood tall. The School was just a long rectangular building with several smaller structures around it, all surrounded by a tall wire fence. The entire complex itself sat right in the middle of a ring of tall, colourful mountains, perfectly hidden from the world. Only a single winding road stretched away from the main gates into the distance.

I glanced upwards. The sky was clear blue with only a few fluffy white clouds from beyond which the sun shone pure gold.

"It's…beautiful," I gasped.

I heard shouting from below. I sprinted to the edge of the roof, adrenalin still shooting through me. I was surprised to find I was perhaps ten stories high, judging by the amount of windows. I looked far below me onto the School's yard and saw utter carnage. It was filled with whitecoats and erasers, some of which were sporting injuries. Many lay on the ground, either withering in pain or unconscious.

In the centre of this chaos I spotted a group of empty dog crates, one of which was mangled over Ari who was cursing loudly. _The flock must have escaped_! I scanned the horizon. _Over there!_ I could just make out a large group of specks in the sky. The flock of bird kids just like me. Well, sort of…

I heard angry yells and looked back down to see a few of the whitecoats and erasers were pointing up at me. Feeling that raw adrenalin flowing through me, I started sprinting across the roof, towards the flock. I must have looked a real sight from down below; a tall boy wearing white lab clothes running across the roof in bare feet. Well if that surprised them, what I did next must have blown their minds.

In all my life I had never done the one task I had been created for, the soul purpose of my existence, the reason my wings itched night and day, and what my body yearned for more than anything in the world.

To fly.

As I carried on running with adrenalin-fueled power, I unfurled my wings. They pressed up hard against my T-shirt before bursting out, ripping through the weak cotton. I stretched my wings fully for the first time in my entire life.

Magnificent.

It felt glorious as the sun warmed them, as the wind rustled through my feathers. I spied the flock soaring into the distance. Oh god, how I wanted to join them, to fly with them. _Just go! Get to them, now!_

I flapped my wings, up and down, up and down. My shoulders felt so powerful as my muscles pumped my wings, their grey tips brushing the concrete roof. More shouts from below, more snarls from the erasers. As I reached the end of the building I leapt out, towards the flock, towards the sky, shouting with joy.

"Freedom!"

_Bang!_

A single shot rang out into the air…


	7. Chapter 6: Make that seven

Chapter 6 – Make that seven

"I need all of you. I love you all. But five of us, or three of us, or two of us isn't us. Us is all six."

Fang was examining his sneakers with great interest. Iggy was nervously tapping long white fingers against his leg. But my little guys got what I was saying. Nudge threw her arms around my neck.

"I love you too Max! I love all of us too."

I looked up and Angel caught my eye. She was staring back at the cave's main entrance.

"Angel, sweetie, what's wrong?" I asked, unwrapping Nudge's arms so that I could _breath_.

She turned to me, a confused look on her face. "There's someone out there."

Within seconds I had pushed the flock behind me, facing towards the cave's mouth, ready to fight anything that came through.

"If it's erasers," I warned, as we all backed further away "Up and away through the back. Don't wait."

_Lets hope the hawks don't mind us passing through their nesting area._ I stood in a fighting stance, ready to deal any eraser a dish of crème de la fist.

A tall silhouette emerged and staggered into the cave. In an instant, I leapt forwards with a roundhouse kick. The figure barely had time to react, barely dodging to the side in time before jumping back into the light. I was stunned to see, not an Eraser but a teenage boy. _What the heck? _He was perhaps an inch shorter than me with short brown hair and dark blue eyes that frantically scanned me. He wore plain white T-shirt and trousers both of which were dirty and tattered. I was shocked to see a huge red stain on his left side.

I slowly stepped forward, holding my hand out in the universal sign for 'Wow Nelly, lets calm down here for a second.' But instead the boy crouched down defensively, growling like an animal and to my surprise, unfurled a pair of wings! That's right, _wings_. About a thirteen-foot wingspan. They had black feathers closest to his body fading to grey ends.

"Jeez," Angel gasped, as the flock backed up even further.

Another bird kid? I had no idea we weren't the only ones. None of us did.

Suddenly the boy choked, his face twisting from anger to pain. He stumbled forwards a couple of steps before falling. I just managed to catch him before he nosedived but one of his wings slapped me painfully in the face. Fang and Nudge rushed over to help. Together we laid him against the cave wall, Nudge straightening out his wings so they wouldn't be crushed.

I slowly lifted up the edge of his shirt to inspect his wound. Suffice it to say that I gagged whilst Nudge ran out of the cave hand over her mouth. It was a real mess. It looked like a bullet had caught him, thankfully missing anything important but still carving deep into his side. This was why I hated guns!

"He's hurt really bad," I said, rummaging through my backpack.

"I can see that," Fang stated calmly.

"So can I," chirped Iggy.

"Not now Ig!" I turned around angrily "This is serious. You guys should probably leave, this is pretty gruesome."

"Well how am I supposed to see what's happening," Iggy asked bitterly as Gazzy started to explain to him as they walked outside. Now it was just me, Fang and our injured friend here. Or foe. I wasn't too sure yet.

Fang grabbed a towel out of his bag, wrapped it up and pressed it against the wound. The boy jerked violently, groaning, his pain written all over his face.

"Food…" he gasped, his eyes opened but seemed vacant and dim.

"Not now," I told him "Later. Too busy saving your life."

What was I doing? I couldn't just slap a bandage on this and make it all better. Even though Fang was applying pressure, it wouldn't stop the bleeding completely, plus there was the risk of infection. _Think Max, think._

"Food…" he turned his face towards me, his eyes focusing on mine. "…to heal…"

"What's your plan?" asked Fang. Leave it to him to lay all the responsibility on me.

I kept still, the boy's eyes still staring deeply into my own. Something in them told me to listen.

"Ple-please…trust me-" he stuttered, before coughing weakly, falling back against the wall. I just stared at him.

Then all of a sudden, I kicked into life. I reached into my bag and pulled out a couple of chocolate bars and ripped off the wrappers.

"What are you doing?" Fang asked quizzically.

"Trusting him," I answered, before practically stuffing the chocolate into the boy's mouth.

After a few seconds he chewed quickly, devouring both bars in moments. I took another two bars and fed them to him. I grabbed a carton of juice and held it to his lips. He grasped it weakly in his hand and drained the whole thing, dropping it to the side.

He closed his eyes and then his whole body tensed. For a few tense minutes, nothing happened. Fang and I shared an uncertain look then I watched astounded as the wound slowly began to close up. I turned to Fang and saw his eyes widen by a millimeter so I could tell he was shocked as well. The boy groaned with the effort as the wound finally closed. The skin was still mutilated but the bleeding had stopped.

The boy released a long, deep breath and slowly opened his eyes again. He turned to me and I stared at him, bewildered.

"Thanks," he whispered.

Then he fainted.


	8. Chapter 7: Who are you?

Chapter 7 – Who are you?

Pain. Excruciating pain.

I peeled open my eyes and was surprised to see two young girls in front of me. One was small with curly blond hair, whilst the other had caramel skin. Her eyes widened when she realized I was looking at her.

"Oh my god, your awake. This is great," she squealed happily "Angel, go get Max."

The small blond girl, the one the whitecoats called 'Subject Eleven', ran out of the cave.

I sat up slowly, holding my stomach. I looked down to see a bandage wrapped around me. I glanced outside, seeing bright daylight and realized I must have slept a long time. It looked like it was a new day.

"Wait, don't stand up. You've got a bad injury but we, well you, urm… just don't move too much," said the girl, helping me sit up straight, and I nodded weakly.

"I'm Nudge, by the way," she added, smiling at me.

"Hi," I croaked before launching into a series of deep coughs.

Nudge passed me a bottle of water, which I emptied in seconds. The small girl appeared beside me again. "This is Angel," said Nudge, pointing to her.

"Hi," I said again, this time without erupting into a coughing fit.

"Girls, go outside and play with Gazzy and Iggy for a moment please," I heard another voice say.

Angel and Nudge left and I saw the tall girl walking towards me, followed by a tall boy wearing all black clothes.

"Right, who are you? How did you find us?" the girl fired at me. "How did you get here?"

That was a good question and one that I couldn't answer. I thought back, searching my memory. Then I remembered; the injections, running down corridors, the roof, leaping, flying. I remembered the burning pain in my side and looking back to see Ari aiming a gun at me. The pain, the energy; I could vaguely remember following the flock.

I cleared my throat and spoke slowly and clearly. "I was at the School, and I heard that you were going to be executed. I managed to escape and saw you guys flying away so I came after you, but I got shot."

By this time, the rest of the flock had gathered around me. I looked between all of them. _Did they believe me?_ I looked into the tall girls eye's, searching her face as she considered my story.

"Ok," she said, after a while. "I believe you."

I turned to the tall boy wearing black. His look gave nothing away but he nodded slightly.

"How did you escape?" asked the smallest boy.

"They were doing an experiment on me, but I broke out and ran. I just, ran…" I trailed off.

"How did you end up at the School?" asked a tall, pale boy.

"I-," I stuttered, trying to think.

Visions flashed in my mind. Whitecoats. Cages. Needles. Blinding lights. A woman crying. I felt weak and my throat was dry. I turned to face the tall girl and she read my face.

"Ok guys, let him rest," she said, herding the flock away from me.

I leant back, thankful, and closed my eyes.

)( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )(

I watched as the boy rested, breathing deeply in his sleep.

"Angel," I whispered and she came over to me. "What can you read from him?"

She closed her eyes and focused in on his thoughts. A minute later she reopened them and I saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"It's all so blurry and messy," she said, "I can't see anything clearly, but I can feel his pain, Max. A lot of pain, and anger, and confusion...and loneliness."


	9. Chapter 8: Your a bird, right?

Chapter 8 – You're a bird, right?

I woke later that evening.

The sun was just setting behind the mountains, causing the blue sky to blend with the orange dust of the desert, displaying a sunburst effect across the horizon. I stood on the ledge outside the cave, taking in the view.

"Hey," I heard a voice right behind me.

I turned to see the tall boy in black. His black hair blew slightly in the wind as his dark eyes focused on me.

"Grubs up, if you want any," he said, gesturing inside.

"Thanks," I replied.

We walked into the cave. My stomach still hurt slightly but thanks to my bird kid genes, I healed faster than average humans. The rest of the flock sat around a fire trying to cook varying types of food on sticks.

"Here, take this," the small boy offered me a can, his blond hair glowing fluorescently in the firelight.

I sat down, grabbed a fork and tucked into my tinned ravioli. I extended my wings slightly, feeling the warmth of the fire heating my feathers. _It felt sooo good. _After I finished, I looked around at the flock, who all sat silently, giving me the occasional stare. I cleared my throat.

"Thanks for this," I said awkwardly, "For the food and everything, and for saving my life."

"Don't worry about it," replied the tall girl, the orange light dancing on her face. "I'm Max, by the way. You already know Nudge and Angel."  
>She pointed to the boy in black. "That's Fang."<p>

"And that's Iggy and the Gasman, or Gazzy," she gestured to the last two boys.

"The Gasman?" I said, confused.

"Don't ask why," smiled Gazzy.

"Or else he might show you," warned Iggy.

The flock chuckled lightly and I joined in. For once in my life I felt at home. I thought that I could really relate to these guys.

"Of course you can relate to us," giggled Angel, "We're all the same."

"What?" I gasped. _How had she known that?_

"I just read your mind. And again," she chirped

"She's scary like that," laughed Max.

"Oh, cool," I said. So she had other gifts, just like me.

"You have other gifts?" Angel asked, eyes widening.

"Stop doing that!" I insisted, and everyone burst out laughing.

"What can you do?" Nudge inquired, eagerly leaning forwards.

"Well, I have this kinda internal radar. I can sense where people are around me."

"No way! That's awesome," exclaimed Gazzy, "Anything else?"

I smiled, "Yeah, I can also store energy in my body, which I can use to heal wounds or move faster."

"That's what you did yesterday?" asked Fang.

"Yeah. Do you guys have any other powers? I asked.

"I can read minds," said Angel.

"I think he knows that now sweetie," stated Max, ruffling her hair so that her blond curls bounced.

"Iggy and I can make explosives," Gazzy said proudly, "And Iggy's a mean cook"

"Much better than Max anyway, and I'm blind for crying out loud!" chuckled Iggy, making Nudge snout apple juice out of her nose.

Once again the flock and I burst out into laughter.

"So, what's your name," asked Max, after we all calmed down.

"I…don't really have a name," I said sheepishly, as the flock stared at me, "I was just called Subject 56."

"Well choose yourself a name, that's what we all did," said Angel.

I sat quietly, pondering. I had never thought about having a name before. In fact, I never thought I would leave the School, or see the outside world, or even make friends with a flock of bird kids. But here I was.

I watched the flickering shadows that the fire projected on the cave walls. I looked down at the orange of the flames as they danced majestically, their heat warming my skin and feathers.

"Phoenix," I said, "my name is Phoenix."

About ten minutes later most of the flock were settling down, ready to sleep. Max, Fang and I sat around the glowing embers of the fire.

"So," said Fang absently, poking a stick into the remains, "How did you really escape?"

I sighed lightly as Max jabbed him, "Hey, he doesn't have to tell us."

"No, it's alright. You should know since you saved me." I said, extending my left wing. I brushed it with my hand to remove some dirt off my primary feathers before talking.

"They strapped me down in the lab, real strong braces around my arms," I recalled. It seemed so hard to remember. "Simon, a whitecoat…he injected me with adrenalin but I absorbed it, holding it back. So they put more and more into me."

I looked down at my bare feet, wriggling my toes.

"When I couldn't hold back anymore, I used all the energy and broke out. I made it to the roof and saw you guys flying away. I…think I took off after you, but Ari…Ari shot me."

I could feel their eyes burning into me, so I looked up at them.

"I probably would never have made it if I hadn't had those injections… but I can't even remember flying here. Just-" I stopped abruptly.

I looked at Max and just for a moment, I saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes. She stood up silently and walked outside. Fang nodded slightly before following her.

"Hey Phoenix. Come sleep over here," Nudge called me over, gesturing to an inviting spot by the wall.

"Thanks," I said.

I stretched out my wings one last time, enjoying the feeling, before I lay down on my side and wrapped them around me. A blanket of feathers.

Warm and cozy, I fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 9: Something special

Chapter 9 – Something special

"_Stop it, please," a woman screamed, her face red with tears._

_I just watched helplessly. I didn't understand. 'What's happening?'_

"_Leave him alone!" she screamed as black hands grabbed her. She was dragged away, a dark mist engulfing her._

_I struggled, watching her disappear. 'No…'_

)( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )(

I watched Phoenix as he murmured, twisting and turning in his sleep. It was morning and everyone else was awake and enjoying the morning wind, except one. I couldn't blame him though. After flying for two hours with a bullet wound as bad as his I was surprised he was even alive.

"What's happening?" he hissed, shaking his head.

I turned to Fang, but he just looked at me and shrugged.

"No..." Phoenix cried out quietly, twisting his body violently.

Suddenly, he leapt forward, hands over his face, his wings extended slightly.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

Phoenix lowered his hands. For a brief moment I saw a look anguish on his face but then it cleared.

"Yeah," he gulped, slowly standing up and rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He yawned loudly stretching out his arms and wings, which actually reached the cave's ceiling. His lab shirt and trousers were filthy and ripped.

"Me and Fang got some proper clothes for you," I said.

Fang reached over and passed him one of his shirts and jackets, both of course were black. I threw him a pair of my jeans, before turning around.

"Thanks," he called from behind me, as he changed.

Fang walked out glancing back at me, just as Nudge and Gazzy dropped in.

"Hey those jeans look good on you," Nudge looked over at Phoenix, "Come on. Put the shirt on, lets see if it suits you."

_Warning, fashion police._ I rolled my eyes.

To my surprise, Phoenix just stood there, holding the clothes in his hands.

"What?" I asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I…well…" he mumbled, not looking at me.

I stared at him.

"I've gotta confess," he stuttered awkwardly.

My skin grew cold. Had he lied to us? Was he actually here to hurt us? _You better not touch my flock buddy, or else…_

"I'm…not like you," he said, focusing his dark blue eyes on mine.

"Of course you are!" giggled Nudge, obviously not feeling the ominous dread that I was. "You're a bird kid like us-"

"No, I'm not," he interrupted, his voice shaking.

Folding in his wings, he slowly lifted his white lab shirt over his head.

"I'm only 94% human," he said quietly, turning his back to us, "and 6% bird."

We all stared and our mouths dropped so low they almost hit the ground.

Like us, his wings were attached between his shoulder blades. But unlike us, his entire back was covered in small grey feathers. The black wing feathers near his joints faded into his grey ones on his back. They covered all of the skin, growing smaller until they stopped at his waistline. More feathers ran along the back of arms and shoulders, stopping at the elbow.

"Holy moly," was the Gasman's sensitive response.

"Gazzy!" I looked at him sternly before stepping over to Fire.

He half turned to me as I placed my hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Their just feathers, its nothing big" I tried to comfort him but he held his hand up.

"There's more," he said, stepping away from me.

"The whitecoats…when they tested my brain they found…they found I have bird reactions. Literally a bird brain, as well as my human mind."

I saw a tear run from his eye leaving a wet trail down his dirty face. He thrust his arms angrily as he spoke. I could see Nudge and Gazzy back away slightly. Despite this, I could understand his situation; it was something I had felt year ago when that traitor Jeb had freed us. The mix of confusion, terror, sadness. All of the emotions running through your head. Phoenix just needed to let them out.

"So I don't even always think like a human. They took every part of me and turned it into something different. Something other. Something that doesn't and will never belong."

His eyes focused on mine intensely and I could almost feel his pain.

"Can you imagine how that feels?"


	11. Chapter 10: Birds of a feather

Chapter 10 – Birds of a feather

Apart from my adrenalin-fueled, stomach churning flight two days ago, I hadn't flown since.

Nudge had inspected my wound and saw that it had all but healed up, leaving just a big red mark. Max didn't want to rush me but I felt up for flying, ready to take to the sky. Despite my emotional outburst earlier, I apologized for worrying her although she told me to forget about it, saying "We all have things that we wish weren't true."

() () () () () () () () () ()

Max had told me we were going to New York or 'the big apple' as she put it. I only presumed it wasn't actually going to be a large fruit. I stood on the cliff's edge, looking out at the glistening, blue water of Lake Mead.

"You ready?" said Max, walking up next to me.

"Yeah," I replied

She unfurled her wings. They shone bright in the sun, her brown secondary feathers fading into white primaries. I shot out mine, enjoying the feeling, their dark colours highlighted in the light. Our wings brushed against each other and she looked at me, her face gleaming.

"Cowabunga?" she smiled.

"Sure, cowabunga," I laughed, whatever that was supposed to mean. She stretched out her arms and let herself fall over the cliff.

I leapt out after her.

() () () () () () () () () ()

I beat my wings powerfully.

The glory of flight, the feeling of power as I rose above the world, the exhilaration, the thrill, the sense of pure enjoyment was beyond words.

I felt totally free.

I felt one with nature.

I felt_ fantastic!_

We flew high above the clouds in loose formation, up in the bright blue sky where the air felt clear and light. It was great to be soaring majestically with my new friends.

"Hey Phoenix," called Iggy, rising up beside me, "How old are you?"

"Good question. I think I'm 14," I answered.

"Cool, same as me, Fang and Max then."

"What about those guys?" I asked, looking in front of me, where the younger flock members were busy performing spins and dives.

"Nudge is 11, Gazzy is 8 and Angel is 6," said Iggy.

Hearing her name, Angel looped around and glided between us

"Me and Gazzy are the only siblings," she smiled, her blond hair floating behind her. As if on queue, the Gasman swooped round me, tapping his wing against my back.

"Tag! Your it!" he laughed, before barrel-rolling to the side.

"Oh yeah?" I threatened, spinning off after him, my laughter caught by the wind.

I followed him down but he quickly lifted back up, almost crashing into Nudge.

"Watch it!" she cried, as we rocketed past her.

Eventually, we both calmed down and I gracefully moved back into formation with just a couple of wing beats.

"Flying is just so…unbelievably awesome," I struggled to find the words.

"Yeah I know, it's totally cool," Nudge said, as she weaved left and right.

"You can fly pretty well," noted Fang, his dark black wings moving powerfully. "How did you learn so fast?"

For some reason, in that last sentence he sounded kind of…suspicious. I looked towards him but his face gave nothing away, his eyes waiting for an answer.

"I dunno. It just came sort of naturally, I guess," I replied slowly, searching for a reaction.

Suddenly I heard a choking sound and turned around.

"Max?" I heard Nudge scream, just as Max fell right in front of me, her wings flailing uselessly.

"Help me get her," shouted Fang, before shooting off after her.

I just set my sights on them but then my brain exploded in pain. The sight of Max falling, in trouble. My entire body felt numb as I grunted in shocked surprise.

I felt my shoulders stop pumping my wings. And then I fell.

And just kept falling…


	12. Chapter 11: See me, hear me

Chapter 11 – See me, hear me

_The darkest of all darkness surrounded me._

_Bright lights burst through the door, carving a pathway towards me._

"_Grab him!"_

_A low voice._

_I felt rough hands grasp me tightly._

"_Stop it, please."_

_That voice, that same female voice._

"_Leave him alone!"_

_I saw the woman dragged away again, once more disappearing into the dark mist of unknown._

_Then I saw flickering images. Scrolling numbers, codes, words streaming through my mind. A small warehouse appeared through the numbers._

_It looked so familiar. 'Where?'_

() () () () () () () () () ()

Daylight.

I peeled open my eyelids, painfully aware of my headache. I glanced around to find I was now in a small clearing in the woods. Most of the flock was shuffling around, clearing branches. Nudge was sitting next to me, unaware that I was awake.

That was until I groaned pitifully as a staggered to my feet.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" she asked, supporting me up.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine," I replied, feeling not very fine at all. "What happened anyway?"

"Well, you and Max both just sort of fell. She just felt really weak and you fainted altogether. Me and Iggy really struggled to carry you but-"

"Nudge, I'm sure Phoenix would appreciate some peace and quiet," Iggy called over, as he was lighting a match.

Fang sauntered over, looking me up and down.

"Alright now? He asked. I nodded.

Does he ever speak in full sentences?

() () () () () () () () () ()

That evening, Fang took Max and me aside, all serious talk no doubt.

"What happened today?" he asked calmly.

"Nothing. Just a really bad headache," stated Max, rubbing her temples.

If it had been anything like mine, that was the understatement of the century.

"That was _some_ headache then," Fang retorted. "What about you?" he asked.

I paused. I didn't want to lie to them but I could I really tell them something I didn't even understand myself?

"Same," I said at last, "Just a really, _really_ bad headache."

Fang looked at me sternly. It seemed like he was about to say something when Angel came over and crawled into Max's lap.

"What's up, Angel," asked Max, stroking her tangled blonds curls.

"I've got a secret. From when I was at the School. It's about us. Where we came from."

Angel dropped a bombshell on us that night. She told the whole flock about everything she had heard people _think_ at the School about their parents. Strangely, Max was the only one who didn't get any information. I could see she was trying not to her sadness but I could see it. She was hurt badly. She didn't know anything about herself.

I knew that pain all to well.


	13. Chapter 12: Big bad wolf

Chapter 12 – Big bad wolf

_We're surrounded!_

I woke up instantly and sprang to my feet as my internal radar woke me. _There were people everywhere, all around us!_

I scanned the forest line surrounding the clearing. Any normal human would just see trees and bushes. I saw trees, bushes and a whole pack of erasers, hidden in the undergrowth. I practically leapt onto Max and shook her awake.

"Get up now! There's eraser's everywhere," I hissed.

She shot up and sprinted over to Fang. I took a deep breath and made a high-pitched bird call.

_Triiiiii__ll!_

All the flock woke quietly but alarmed. Nudge actually started to frantically search the sky for 'the bird' until she realised I had made the sound. Max coughed to get their attention then she spoke quietly.

"Everyone, up and-" She didn't finish.

Three erasers charged out of the tree line, one carrying a handgun. Max and Fang seemed to act on the same brain wave by grabbing Angel and Gazzy and throwing them into the air. They spread their wings and shot high into the air.

I ran straight at the armed eraser before he had time to aim. Suddenly, something came over me, another kind of flashback like I had during my escape. A stocky man grabbing and moving another figure, throwing punches and sparring. I instantly knew what I had to do to disarm and take out my enemy.

Just as the eraser took aim I grabbed his hand in mine and twisted my body so my back faced him. In one swift movement I released the gun's ammo magazine and pushed back the topslide, jamming the gun. Meanwhile, I thrust my other arm's elbow into his gut and he doubled over in pain. Then I clasped both hands around the eraser's gun hand and rolled him over my back. He flung over me and landed facing the sky, just as I slammed my fist into his jaw, knocking him out.

Once again, I stood stunned. I had taking down an armed eraser in less than three seconds in a single move. _How did I just do that?_ I began to think before realising there were more erasers to deal with. I dodged to the side as one lunged at me, brushing my cheek. In return, I spun to one side and kicked him between the legs. Usually I'm a bit more sentimental towards a man's private area but this was life and death. Frankly, I'd choose life every time. Besides, he _was_ an eraser after all. He sunk to the ground with a low whimper.

I quickly glanced back to see the flock was taking off into the sky. I unfurled my wings and jumped high. With a few powerful strokes I cleared the trees, leaving the group of angry wolf men howling up at us. I joined the flock in the sky and we hovered in lose formation.

"How did you know they were coming?" asked Gazzy, his eyes frantically looking below us.

"My internal radar kindly decided to warn me," I smirked and they all grinned.

Then I winced as my brain flashed visions again. Strangely I felt no pain, just that I had left my body for a moment like '_Ok, be right back.'_

I saw blurry images of a group of buildings in what seemed like an industrial estate. Then a large one with dull red bricks and a sign above the garage doors but I couldn't make out what it said. Some kind of warehouse. The image changed and this one was much clearer. I saw a housing area, with many, many small homes in circular cul-de-sacs. I saw a sign next to the door that showed part of the address. And below that, there was a name; Manuel Cole.

All of a sudden it stopped. I opened my eyes to see five pairs of eyes starring at me. Six if you count Iggy.

"Are you ok?" Nudge asked with concern.

I nodded. After an uncertain nod, Max gestured for the flock to move out. My mind was reeling now. _Who was Manuel Cole? _I felt that I recognized that name as well as the house I had seen in my brain images. And yes, I know that seems like a strange sentence. I looked around at the flock, as I realized I had to leave them. They had their mission, I had mine. They wanted to find their parents.

I wanted to find myself.


	14. Chapter 13: The city that never sleeps

Chapter 13 – The city that never sleeps

Let me tell you something; flying never gets old.

But it sure gets tiring. After several hours of flying, rocketing through the air and generally feeling like gods, night was falling and the bright blue sky faded into its darker brother. I saw in front of us a huge sprawling landscape of buildings, lights and cars. I angled my wings and swooped up next to Max and Fang.

"Max," I said calmly.

She and Fang both turned to look at me as if their heads were joined. _Man, it's creepy how connected they are,_ I thought.

"Yeah?"

"Is that the 'big apple' up ahead?" I asked, gesturing forwards.

"That's it. Not the big piece of fruit you were expecting huh?" she smirked.

I was slightly taken aback. Nudge had told me New York was one of the biggest cities in America but even her vast amount of words hadn't prepared me for how freakin' big it really was. We landed in a huge park, Central Park apparently, where a music gig was taking place. We all shimmied into the back of the crowd. Max said it was the Taylor Twins whoever they were. I actually quite enjoyed the music but I felt a bit claustrophobic being surrounded by so many people. A quick glance over at Max and Fang revealed they were also uncomfortable.

After the gig finished, we casually broke away from the crowd and leapt up into a tall tree. We all nestled into the branches, finding cozy spots to sleep in. I climbed over to a branch and perched there. _Should I tell them I was leaving, or should I just go in the morning?_

() () () () () () () () () ()

As my treat to the flock, I offered to take first watch. It was the least I could do. I lay on my back in the little clearing around the tree, gazing into the night sky. I had never seen stars before, and what a sight they were. Each one, a little dot in the sheet of blackness, shining so brightly. They were battling the bright colours of the city lights that shone into the cosmos. It was beautiful.

My radar sensed someone coming up behind me.

"Hey Max," I called quietly, still looking up into the sky.

"Hey," she said, sitting down next to me, "How you feeling?"

"Fine," I answered. I continued to gaze up at the stars.

"You've never seen the night sky before have you?" she asked, sympathy in her voice.

"No, never. It's so much better than I imagined."

Max lay down with me, before saying, "You probably feel a bit isolated, since we know everything about you and you know nothing about us."

For the next half hour, Max told me about how the whitecoat Jeb had rescued her and the flock. How he had trained them before disappearing. She told me sadly about how after four years, the erasers found them and kidnapped Angel, and how they tried to rescue her. She even told me about how Jeb told her to save to world. I was shocked but didn't interrupt. When she finished, she unfurled her strong, elegant wings and tested the breeze. We both lay quietly for ages, just watching the sky. Eventually, I had to ask her something. I took a deep breath.

"Max, do you…do you remember what it was like… when you first realized you were…different? I mean…not human?"

I turned to her, her eyes staring at the stars. I saw her face fill with emotion. She spoke softly.

"I remember. The sadness of realizing that you're a freak…that no one will ever understand you or treat you fairly. It just seemed so…cruel," she finished.

She turned to me, her brown eyes moist. "Why did you want to know?"

I welled up inside. Part of me didn't want to say but I felt that I had to, after everything she had done.

"I don't," I said shakily. "I don't remember. All my life I've thought I wasn't equal. All my life, I believed that I was worthless. Just another lab rat."

"But, how?" she asked gently, a tear trickling down her face, "Surely when you were younger, you didn't know…"

"I don't remember when I was younger...I…lost my memory," I whispered hoarsely, "Simon, the whitecoat…he was inspecting my brain…doing surgery and stuff…but he messed up…and now, I can't remember anything."

Silence.

"I'm…so sorry," she whispered, rubbing my shoulder.

"I just-" I chocked on my words.

I breathed deeply and tried again.

"I just…see horrible flashbacks. Images and visions that I just don't understand. That was…until today."

I looked into her large, brown eyes and saw deep sadness. Her beautiful face washed clean with a few tears. Her long brown hair glistened with a hint of blond in the moonlight. I sat up.

"I need to leave…at least for a while," I whispered, "I might come find you guys when I'm done…if that's ok?"

"Of course it is," she said gently, also sitting up, "But how will you find us? We could be anywhere."

"Well, I might be able to _home _in on you guys."

Her eyes grew wider and she grinned. "You can do that?"

"It's a bird thing," I said, chuckling lightly.

More silence.

"You spend as long as you need to. Come find us whenever you're ready." She said quietly, shuffling closer.

She wrapped her arms and wings around me in a tight embrace. I hugged her back.

We held each other for the longest time.

I started _cooing_, literally. _Cooing softly._

"_Coo, coo_."

Max gently let go and looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Sorry," I said embarrassed, feeling my face burn red. "That's my bird brain talking."

We sat there quietly. I starred at her, losing myself in her eyes.

After a long time, she said quietly, "I'll take over the watch. Get some sleep, Phoenix."

I moved away slowly and began to climb up to the rest of the flock.

I stopped.

I turned around, to catch one more glimpse of the black night sky, the city skyline, the shining stars, and Max.

_Wonderful._


	15. Chapter 14: One and lonely

Chapter 14 – One and lonely

To save the hassle of saying goodbye, I left the flock early the next morning.

Part of me didn't feel right leaving without thanking them but Max assured me she would control it. Still, I felt sad to leave. Also, before I left I asked Max never to talk about me, never mention me, as if I was never there. She promised that if anyone asked or if she ever told anyone, she would just cut me out of the story.

She understood that by pretending I didn't exist was best for all of us.

() () () () () () () () () ()

I didn't actually fly away because I wanted to search the city, so at first I thought that maybe I might spot the flock on the street anyway.

_Yeah right. _There were so many people hustling around the sidewalks, heading to work or school or wherever your average New Yorker goes in the morning. Luckily being tall meant I was able to move through the hordes of people quite easily. I scanned frequently for any signs of erasers but so far, it seemed clear. Of course, that meant nothing since erasers are pretty normal looking until they grow wolf muzzles and try ripping your throat out.

_There! A phone box. _The address I had seen in my vision was still imprinted on my memory so I planned to search for it in a phone book. I slotted into the thin box, already feeling claustrophobic and scanned through the hundreds of pages. I came up with nothing, nada. I slammed the book shut in frustration. I thought the house was in New York but I guessed wrong. I hadn't seen the full address so it could be anywhere, maybe even in a different country. But something inside me told me it wasn't too far.

I sighed. Next stop was to find a computer of some kind. I wandered the streets aimlessly for someplace where I could use a computer. Occasionally I stopped at vendors to buy food with some money that Max had given me. By the end of the day, I felt pretty bummed out. I was no closer to finding any information about this house, only that it absolutely, positively _might_ not be in New York.

When it was dark, I crept into a dark alleyway where a couple of homeless guys where sleeping next to some dumpsters. I sat opposite them having decided they weren't eraser's and leaned on the cold brick wall behind me. I let out a long, deep breath.

Tomorrow would be another _great_ day.

() () () () () () () () () ()

"_Quick, hide!"_

_The woman screamed at me, pushing me away._

_I heard gunshots, men crying out._

_The woman reached behind me and darkness fell around me._

_We waited._

_Then once again, the bright lights burst through the door._

"_Grab him!"_

_That low voice again._

_Those same hands grabbed me._

"_Stop it, please."_

_The woman screamed again._

"_Leave him alone!"_

_She was dragged away again, the ever-present dark mist surrounding her._

_What did it all mean?_

() () () () () () () () () ()

I woke with a jump before settling back down again. That nightmare, that same vision…

Then I saw two things that struck me as odd.

One, there was a small white envelope on my lap with the words '_Read me!'_

The second? A group of three male models were pacing down the alley towards me. One of them was Ari.

"Oh jeez," I mumbled to myself as I shot to my feet and ran from them, pocketing the envelope.

The men gave chase. I ran around a corner into another alleyway. I leapt over an old abandoned sofa and pulling a couple of dustbins over to slow mu pursuers down. But despite my efforts they were gaining on me. Even worse, two more erasers had turned up and joined Ari's pack. My shock turned to horror as I turned another corner to see a large wire mesh fence in front of me about ten feet high. I alleyway was barely wide enough for my wings as I shot them open and pumped them up and down.

They brushed painfully against the alley walls, the feathers scratching the brickwork. _It's too narrow,_ I thought alarmed_._ I jumped, trying desperately trying to get some lift. I crashed into the top of the fence and clung on for dear life as I pulled my wings in.

I quickly hauled myself over the top just as Ari ploughed around the corner. Snarling, he leapt against the mesh fence. His claws raked the wire as he thrashed at me through the fence. I pounced down and smiled at him, safe on the other side.

"Your mine, you feathery freak!" Ari snarled at me, trying to reach through the fence as his pack tried to scale it with little success.

"Not today Mr. Wolf," I said before running down the street.


	16. Chapter 15: Street Crime

Chapter 15 – Street Crime

_Note to self: Write new film. Title – Bird-kid lost in the Big City. Based on a true story._

Honestly, I was pretty lost. I mean I knew which way was north and south because of my internal compass; I just didn't have the faintest idea where I was in the city. Or even where I was going for that matter.

Plus, I was nervous and twitchy from my encounter with Ari. I searched around me constantly trying to spot any male models, anyone with hair too thick, teeth too sharp, claws to inhuman.

I know what your thinking. _What about my internal radar?_ Well the problem is it's not very useful when there are people everywhere around you.

All alone in a forest? Very effective. Surrounded by hundreds of New Yorkers, all of which seem obsessed with barging into you? Not so much.

So I decided to pull into some quieter streets, which were still pretty darn busy.

My stomach grumbled loudly, so much so that a gothic looking girl actually stopped talking on her cell phone to stare at me. Either that or she had noticed the wings.

Self-consciously, I pulled my jacket tighter. I didn't actually wear a T-shirt because it's really uncomfortable with all the feathers on my arms and back. Only my jacket covered my wings from public view so I had to be careful. Anyway, back to my search for a computer. Maybe I could-

My stomach interrupted my thoughts again and I couldn't ignore it. I sighed and searched my pockets. They were empty. No money.

I winced again as my brain flashed with more visions. I saw that man again, stocky and well built. He talked to another figure, and then they both seemed to be grabbing each other, walking past each other, standing close together.

Something clicked inside my brain. Once again I returned to the world. I decided that the best way to get money was steal it, but not in the _break-into-a-house _way. I was going to do it old fashioned pickpocket style.

I leaned against a building, scanning for a decent target.

Then realization hit me _hard_. Every time I had a brain flash, I seemed to learn something new. Was my brain teaching itself new information…or was it retrieving it from my past?

I stood there stunned, contemplating my idea. I was so stunned that I almost missed the perfect target walking straight towards me; a businessman wearing a grey suit, a phone in one hand and a briefcase in the other.

I leaned off of the wall and walked towards him, _tr__ès __casual_. Studying his jacket, my raptor eyes noticed a small bulge in his right inside pocket.

Just as we were about to walk past, I pretended to trip over. I put my arms out to stop myself and grabbed the man's arm. He gasped in shock as I almost pulled him down with me.

"I'm so, so sorry. I just tripped and, oh man, I'm sorry," I blurted out, helping the men to his feet. As I pulled him up I very lightly reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet.

"That's ok kid, just get off me," he replied, his voice icy. He smoothed out his jacket and swiftly moved away.

I smiled at his back before edging into an alleyway. The steal had gone smoothly. Unfortunately, rather _un-smoothly_, he only had ten bucks in his wallet. I suppressed a stream of swear words.

_I had to do it again._

The next time went just as well. I sighted on an Asian lady in expensive boots and coat carrying a shopping bag. This time I had swiped her purse out of her handbag, gaining thirty-five US dollars for my efforts.

I thought that one more time and I would have enough money for a while.

I stepped out of the alley and almost instantly spotted a tanned man wearing a baseball cap and a small backpack. _Perfect._

I made my way towards him deciding to go for the subtle _brush past_ method. It was like my brain chose what method to do so I just went with it.

Just as a brushed the man's shoulder, I reach into his jacket pocket. However, what my brain didn't expect was a handcuff to be slapped on my wrist. The other one was attached to the guy's wrist.

"You picked the wrong pocket son," he said, taking his wallet out of my hand. He opened it and flashed a police badge. _Crud._

"Your going down to the station, come on."

He dragged me away from the busy street much to the amusement of some passersby. I waited to see where he took me, praying that the station wasn't right around the corner.

To my relief, the cop dragged me into a car parking lot. I glanced around to see high walls surrounding us, no CCTV and no one else in sight.

The cop waved at his car where I saw his partner, sitting in their NYPD Cruiser, drinking coffee.

"What, no donuts?" I asked him.

"Shut your mouth kid," sneered his partner as he got out of the car.

The cop dragged me to the back door, which his partner opened.

"You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a-"

He didn't finish. As the cop undid the handcuff from my wrist I brought my hand up behind his head and slammed it against the roof of the Cruiser. He went down seeing stars.

His partner reached out to grab me but I blocked his hands and kneed him in the gut. He collapsed onto the floor with a small cry. As he fell, I grabbed his wrist and clasped the handcuff around it.

Now both of the cops lay on the ground, one unconscious and one in pain, chained together by a pair of handcuffs.

I reached down and picked up the cop's wallet and his backpack before searching his partner for his wallet.

As I did this I heard a crackle over the radio in their Cruiser.

"We've got a civilian down here. Possible drug addict. Some witnesses claim six children were seen running from the crime scene."

Max and the flock. I smiled.

And with one last look, I jogged out of the car park.


	17. Chapter 16: Meet and greet

Chapter 16 – Meet and Greet

After a while, I slumped down on the steps of a building.

I started to rummage through the cop's backpack. I wasn't sure what I had taken but hopefully nothing bad. I saw some basic equipment but was pleasantly surprised to find a large amount of food; sandwiches, pastry rolls, a thermo-flask full of coffee.

_Jackpot. _Tucking into them immediately, I slurped down the coffee without using the cup, whilst almost choking on the food.

Then my eyes grew wide. The cop's handgun was there, tucked into its holster. I scanned around me to check no one was peering in. I kept the gun in the bag, turning it in my hands.

I read the engravings on the side. It was a 9mm Glock 19. I checked that the safety was on before stuffing it back into the bag along with one of the wallets.

I took the other one and put it in my jacket pocket.

But I felt something already inside it.

I looked down curiously and pulled the object out. It was the envelope, the same one from this morning.

I had stuffed it in there just before Ari chased me. I cursed silently for forgetting it. I ripped it open and took out a small folded piece of paper.

It read: _The Pond, Central Park. 1pm._

Okay, so the writer had wisely decided that being vague was the most cautious thing to do. But still, a little more information would be nice.

Like _who_ had actually written the _freakin' letter?_

I glanced through a shop window at a clock and noticed that I had less than twenty minutes to get there. It was several blocks away but I could make it.

I stuffed the letter in my pocket, slung the backpack on and sprinted towards Central Park.

() () () () () () () () () ()

For those of you who don't know, The Pond is, unsurprisingly, the name of a pond at the most southern corner of Central Park.

I sat down on a bench and did a scan. Around me were several people. Some were just parent with kids and some were just average people going for walks. I nervously tapped my fingers on the bench's wooden slates.

I was quite exposed but at least I was near the edge of the park so I could slip into the busy city streets if I needed to.

I saw a woman check her watch and focused my raptor eyes on it. I was perhaps ten minutes late.

_Had I missed the meeting? Or was this a trap that I had walked into-_

"Hello Phoenix," said a voice beside me, making me jump.

I turned to see a man sitting next to me on the bench. A man I recognized.

It was Jeb, the whitecoat from the School! Even though he was wearing jeans and a plain jumper I could still smell death on him.

I sucked in a fast breath and shot to my feet.

"Please sit down," he said calmly, gesturing with his hand. "I'm not here to hurt you."

I stared at him nervously, scanning the trees and the crowds for Erasers. How did he know my name? How did he know where to find me? Was he the writer of the letter?

"I've come alone. Now please, sit down."

His voice seemed sincere and his face seemed calm. But he was a whitecoat.

_He was one of them._

My bird instincts were telling me _'Run, fly, just get away!'_

Should I stay, or go?

_Stay, go, stay, go?_


	18. Chapter 17: Trust & other dangers

Chapter 17 – Trust and other dangerous motions

Slowly, I sat down again.

My body tensed, every muscle stiff and ready.

I just glared at Jeb. I didn't know him well but Max had told me everything.

"Thank you," he said after I had made myself _uncomfortable_ on the bench.

"I can't trust you," I said coldly, "Max told me everything."

"Max doesn't see the big picture yet," he replied softly, his eyes softening.

"And sometimes, trust isn't allows always as important as knowing what you need to know."

Already I was tired of his cryptic answers. I longed to just grab him and shout into his face 'Who am I?'

"I know about you Phoenix," he said, looking out at the pond's still water. "I know your looking for answers."

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to smack him right in the face. He seemed to notice yet he remained calm and collected and continued his speech.

"Most people don't know what they want or where to find it, but you do. You just have to remember."

"I can't remember," I hissed angrily, my teeth bared, "You whitecoats did that to me. You made that mistake. Just tell me what I want."

Jeb sighed, still not making eye contact, and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I don't know all the answers Phoenix," he said, "But I can help you find them. You see, I was there when you were made, when you were developed. Although I wasn't directly linked with your 'construction'," he said, putting air quotes over 'construction'.

My blood was starting to boil. I couldn't stand this, all this talk about being made by _them_. Deep in my throat, I made involuntary low bird growls. Jeb ignored me and carried on.

"I'm going to help you find what you want, but only because it will help you find your place in the big picture. I know the man who was assigned to your project. Another 'whitecoat', as you would say. His name is Manuel Cole."

I tensed and gasped slightly. _Was Manuel Cole the I had visioned? _It seemed likely.

Right on cue, I had another brain flicker. I saw that same house but this time I could see the full address; Cole's address. More images flicked of the housing estate.

Then they stopped. I opened my eyes and to my relief, nothing had changed. I could see the pond and the crowds of people…but no Jeb.

I looked around me but he was well and truly gone, like he had just vanished into thin air. Talk about freaky.

Next step I guess was to find Cole's house. Strangely, my brain could sense where it was, in which direction and how far like it normally does when I can _home_ in on somewhere. It was like it had unlocked the memory of where this place was and now I could home in on it like a bird homes in on its nest.

_Thank you extra 4% avian genes_.

() () () () () () () () () ()

It turns out the house was actually in the suburban areas west of the main city.

After having a lovely lunch from the cop's backpack, I was now flying way high above the city searching for Manuel Cole's house.

Up here, the sounds of the city were much quieter and I could just coast on thermal currents that rose up towards me. I _cooed_ as the warm air filled my wings, the feathers on my arms and back rustling softly.

It was pure bliss.

I was almost glad that I was alone and on the run.

Cautiously, I scanned the neighborhood around the house. There were barely any cars parked outside so I presumed just about everyone had gone to work.

I tucked in my wings and skydived straight down, using only my wing tips to guide me.

I pulled up at the last second and landed softly on the ground, in the fences between two houses.

I brushed off my arms and rolled my shoulders and wings before folding them in. In front of me was the cul-de-sac. Across the street was the house I had seen in my brain visions.

Wondering if that sentence would ever sound normal, I strolled casually towards the front door. This definitely was the right house. It looked almost exactly the same in my mind and the address and name were clearly shown on the sign.

I couldn't see any lights on and there was no car in the driveway. I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.

Sure, I could try and break in but why bother if someone inside could just open the door. I rang the bell again and even knocked on the door but no one opened up.

_Okay, Plan B_, I thought.

Scanning around to check if anyone was watching me, I reached into the backpack and pulled out a small tool, shaped uncannily like a small gun with little attachments on the front. It was the cop's lock gun, very useful for breaking into houses.

Strangely, I was pretty confident how to use it. _Which meant what?_

After changing the end piece of the lock gun, I jiggled it around in the door's lock. After a couple of minutes the door clicked opened.

I swiftly moved inside and closed the door behind me.


End file.
